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The concept of “ethno-microbiology” is to understand the indigenous knowledge of the Indian people for production of culturally and organoleptically acceptable fermented foods by natural fermentation. About 1000 types of common, uncommon, rare, exotic and artisan fermented foods and beverages are prepared and consumed in different geographical regions by multi-ethnic communities in India. Indian fermented foods are mostly acidic and some are alkaline, along with various types of alcoholic beverages. A colossal diversity of microorganisms comprising bacteria mostly belongs to phylum Firmicutes, filamentous moulds and enzyme- and alcohol-producing yeasts under phyla Ascomycota and Mucoromycota, and few bacteriophages and archaea have been reported from Indian fermented foods. Some microorganisms associated with fermented foods have functionalities and health promoting benefits. “Ethno-microbiology” of ethnic Indian people has exhibited the proper utilisation of substrates either singly or in combination such as fermented cereal-legume mixture (idli, dosa and dhokla) in South and West India, sticky fermented soybean food (kinema and related foods), fermented perishable leafy vegetable (gundruk and related foods), fermented bamboo shoots (soibum and related foods) and fermented fish (ngari and others) in North East India, and fermented meat and sausage-like products in the Indian Himalayas, fermented coconut beverage (toddy) in coastal regions, and various types of naturally fermented milk products (dahi and related products) in different regions of India. This review has also highlighted the “ethno-microbiology” knowledge of the people involving the consortia of essential microorganisms in traditionally prepared amylolytic starters for production of cereal-based alcoholic beverages. The novelty of this review is the interpretation of ethno-microbiological knowledge innovated by ethnic Indian people on the use of beneficial microorganisms for food fermentation to obtain the desired fermented food products for consumption.

The plant faces different pedological and climatic challenges that influence its growth and enhancement. While, plant-microbes interactions throught the rhizosphere offer several privileges to this hotspot in the service of plant, by attracting multi-beneficial mutualistic and symbiotic microorganisms as plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), archaea, mycorrhizal fungi, endophytic fungi, and others…). Currently, numerous investigations showed the beneficial effects of these microbes on growth and plant health. Indeed, rhizospheric microorganisms offer to host plants the essential assimilable nutrients, stimulate the growth and development of host plants, and induce antibiotics production. They also attributed to host plants numerous phenotypes involved in the increase the resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The investigations and the studies on the rhizosphere can offer a way to find a biological and sustainable solution to confront these environmental problems. Therefore, the interactions between microbes and plants may lead to interesting biotechnological applications on plant improvement and the adaptation in different climates to obtain a biological sustainable agricultures without the use of chemical fertilizers.

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is one of the most important pests causing considerable damage to soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) around the world. Biocontrol provides a strategy for sustainable nematode control. Previously, Aspergillus niger NBC001 was isolated from the cysts of Heterodera spp. and able to control H. glycines and promote the growth of soybean in a pot experiment. In this study, the effects of NBC001 on H. glycines density and on the soybean rhizosphere microbial community in a soybean cyst nematode-infested field were studied. The results showed that NBC001 could suppress H. glycines by 31.7% in the field. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that NBC001 had no significant influence on soybean rhizosphere microbial community structure, indicating that seed coat-dressing with the concentrated culture filtrate of NBC001 was safe for the soil ecological environment. In addition, high-throughput sequencing results demonstrated that at 10 days post transplantation, NBC001 increased the abundances of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria, but decreased the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Gemmatimonadetes at the phylum level. Meanwhile, the abundances of Phyllobacterium, Ralstonia and H16 were increased, while the abundances of Adhaeribacter, Gemmatimonas, Sphingomonas, Flavisolibacter were suppressed by application of NBC001. However, at 90 days post transplantation, NBC001 only increased the abundances of Aeromicrobium and RB41 whereas it decreased the abundance of H16. The results indicated that application of NBC001 increased the relative abundances of the beneficial microorganisms such as Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Aeromicrobium and Phyllobacterium in the soil. In summary, NBC001 is an eco-friendly biocontrol agent for H. glycines control.

BACKGROUND Maintaining viability of beneficial microorganisms applied to foods still constitutes an industrial challenge. Many microencapsulation methodologies have been studied to protect probiotic microorganisms and ensure their resistance from manufacturing through to consumption. However, in many Latin-American countries such as Argentina there are still no marketed food products containing microencapsulated beneficial bacteria. The objectives of this work were: (i) to obtain microcapsules containing Lactobacillus fermentum L23 and L. rhamnosus L60 in a milk protein matrix; and (ii) to evaluate the viability of microencapsulated lactobacilli exposed to long-term refrigerated storage, mid-high temperatures and simulated gastrointestinal conditions. RESULTS The method of emulsification/rennet-catalyzed gelation of milk proteins used in this study led to high encapsulation yields for both strains (98.2-99%). Microencapsulated lactobacilli remained viable for 120 days at 4 °C, while free lactobacilli gradually lost their viability under the same conditions. Microencapsulation increased the resistance of lactobacilli to mid-high temperatures, since they showed survival rates of 95-99.3% at 50 °C, and of 72.5-74.4% at 65 °C. Under simulated gastric conditions, the microencapsulated lactobacilli counts were higher than 8.5 log CFU mL-1 and showed survival rates between 96.61% and 97.74%. Furthermore, in the presence of bile (0.5-2% w/v) the survival of microencapsulated strains was higher than 96%. CONCLUSION The microencapsulation process together with the matrix of milk proteins used in this study protected beneficial Lactobacillus strains against these first simulated technological and physiological conditions. These findings suggest that this microencapsulation method could contribute to secure optimal amounts of living lactobacilli cells able to reach the intestine. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Research goal:The aim of this work was to develop a sustainable and innovative organic cultivation protocol, usable by local Italian companies, based on the use of microbial biostimulants (beneficial bacteria and fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizae and algae) able to improve the growth and quality production of the medicinal gel ofAloe vera. Materials and Methods:The experiments, started in December 2020, were conducted in the greenhouses of CREA-OF in Pescia (Pt), Tuscany, Italy (43°54′N 10°41′E) onAloe vera(4 year old plants). The experimental groups were: i) group control, irrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized; ii) group with Effective microorganisms irrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized; iii) group withTrichoderma spp.irrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized; iv) group with arbuscular mycorrhizae irrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized; v) group withAscophyllum nodosumirrigated with water and substrate previously fertilized. Results and Discussion:The experiment showed a significant improvement in agronomic parameters and physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics analysed on plants treated with microbial and algae-based biofertilizers. In particular, there was a significant improvement in the number of leaves per plant, new shoots, fresh vegetative weight, root and gel weight and the inflorescences number. On the leaves of the treated theses, there was a significant increase in leaf length and width and an improvement in gel pureness (optical density). There was also an increase in the number of microorganisms in the treated substrates and a lowering of the pH of the growing medium. The test also showed a lowering of the pH of the gel and a significant increase in soluble solids, sugars and fiber content in the theses inoculated with Effective microorganisms and a significant increase in fructose, glucose, proline and aloin. Conclusions:The trial confirms the significant results already obtained in other trials on vegetable, ornamental and Aloe plants by applying biofertilizing microorganisms and algae. The aim of this work was to develop an organic cultivation protocol based on microbial and algae treatments that can be used to improve the quality ofAloe veraplants. This protocol can be applied in general by those companies that are dedicated to the production of ornamental and fruit cacti and succulents and want to reduce or even eliminate the use of plant protection products

Ethnic fermented foods are known for their unique aroma, flavour, taste, texture and other sensory properties preferred by every ethnic community in this world culturally as parts of their eatables. Some beneficial microorganisms associated with fermented foods have several functional properties and health-promoting benefits. Bacteriocins are the secondary metabolites produced by the microorganisms mostly lactic acid bacteria present in the fermented foods which can act as lantibiotics against the pathogen bacteria. Several studies have been conducted regarding the isolation and characterization of potent strains as well as their association with different types of bacteriocins. Collective information regarding the gene organizations responsible for the potent effect of bacteriocins as lantibiotics, mode of action on pathogen bacterial cells is not yet available. This review focuses on the gene organizations, pathways include for bacteriocin and their mode of action for various classes of bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria in some ethnic fermented foods.

Breast milk was long considered a sterile environment, but now it is known to harbor many bacteria that will shape the newborn microbiota. The benefits of breastfeeding to newborn health are, on some level, related to the presence of beneficial bacteria in human milk. Therefore, this study aims to investigate and isolate potential probiotics present in human milk that might be associated with improved health in infants, being potential candidates to be used in simulated human milk formula. Milk samples of 24 healthy mothers were collected at three time points: 30 min (colostrum), 5-9 days (transitional milk), and 25-30 days (mature milk) postpartum. Samples were evaluated by culturing, and the isolated bacteria were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and 16S DNA sequencing. In vitro screening for probiotics properties was performed, and the potential probiotics were mono-associated with germ-free mice to evaluate their ability to colonize the gastrointestinal tract. The microorganisms were submitted to the spray-drying process to check their viability for a potential simulated milk formula production. Seventy-seven bacteria were isolated from breast milk pertaining to four bacterial genera (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, and Lacticaseibacillus). Four potential probiotics were selected: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (n = 2) and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (n = 2). Isolates were able to colonize the gastrointestinal tract of germ-free mice and remained viable after the spray-drying process. In conclusion, breast milk harbors a unique microbiota with beneficial microorganisms that will impact the newborn gut colonization, being an essential source of probiotic candidates to be used in a formula of simulated maternal milk.

During the last decades, the incorporation of beneficial microorganisms in agriculture crop management has become a common practice. Seed coating of these microorganisms still faces technical issues, which limit its implementation in conventional agriculture. An adaption to widely established agricultural practices, e.g. fertigation, could help to overcome these issues. Here, using Bacillus velezensis strain BBC047, we show the influence of the crop phenological stages on the efficiency and success of microbial inoculation under agricultural conditions. In the commercial nursery, strain BBC047 improved growth in a variety of horticulture crops like basil, cabbage, tomato and bell pepper, the latter with the strongest effects in strengthening and accelerating the seedling growth (root and aerial biomass). For a field trial under productive conditions, different application strategies were compared, using bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) as crop under fertigation: conventional management (T1), application to the seedling (only nursery, T2), only post-transplant application (field, T3) and a combination of both (T4). In T2 and T4, the post-transplantation survival rate (p 100%). Applications of BBC047 post-transplantation (T3) caused a lower increase in productivity (25%). Fruits from all three application strategies contained significantly more Vitamin C. We conclude that in conventional agriculture, the applications of PGPR inoculants to early crop phenological stages like nurseries are a viable alternative for the efficient use of PGPR inoculants. In comparison, a late introduction of a PGPR reduces its beneficial effect on crop productivity. We highlight that an appropriate timing in the use of PGPR inoculants is crucial for product development and success in sustainable agriculture.

Abelmoschus esculentus, a plant cultivated in tropical and temperate regions throughout the world, is highly appreciated for its various uses. Its culture encounters difficulties, particularly in Cameroon, due to soil infertility. In order to overcome this difficulty, the use of biological fertilizers in order to regenerate agricultural soils for more production is suggested. Three types of formulations were prepared after in vitro compatibilities tests, T1 (B. amyloliquefaciens and T. harzianum); T2 (B. velezensis and B. amyloliquefaciens) and T3 (B. velezensis and T. harzianum) with the aim of improving soil physicochemical; agromorphological and nutritional profile of okra. The plants were cultivated in 4.5 m² plots, arranged in complete randomized blocks design. ANOVA revealed significant differences between T1treatment and the other treatments and with the T0 control in plant height with the growth rate of 1.144cm/day, fruit length (11.53±0.49cm) and the average weight of fruits per treatment (1868.00±279.45g) at the significance level of P

Amazonian palm berries (açaí, Euterpe oleracea Mart.) are fruits with high nutritional value and antioxidant activity and have aroused the interest of consumers, popularizing fruit pulps enriched with probiotics. Amazonian palm berries (açaí, Euterpe oleracea Mart.) are fruits with high nutritional potential, providing a source of carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Furthermore, açai provides several health benefits, including antioxidant activity. Nutritionally enhanced foods have aroused the interest of consumers, popularizing fruit pulps enriched with probiotics. Probiotics are dietary supplements consisting of live, beneficial microorganisms in the host which improve the intestinal microbiota. The objective of this study was to isolate, identify, and characterize the probiotic potential of an isolated Schleiferilactobacillus harbinensis strain (dubbed Ca12) and provide an optimized bioprocess for its production, using the complete factorial and central rotational compound design to supplement the frozen açai pulp. The isolated strain S. harbinensis Ca12 presented adequate resistance to gastric juice and bile salts, microbial activity against different Candida strains, self-aggregation and coaggregation properties, high adhesion in HT-29 cells, and 35% inhibition of Salmonella in HT-29 cells. When optimized, the cellular biomass production of the S. harbinensis Ca12 strain was approximately 600% higher than the unsupplemented whey, with a production of 3.6 × 1010 CFU mL(−1). The S. harbinensis Ca12 strain’s viability in the creamy and traditional frozen açai pulp was shown to be stable for up to 6 months at 20 °C. The impact of this study involved for the first time the S. harbinensis Ca12 described in the Brazilian cocoa pulp with activity against Candida albicans of clinical importance, creating the potential of a new functional food with important benefits to human health as prevention for candidiasis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42770-021-00559-3.

Products based on beneficial microorganisms, such as rhizobia, are used in agriculture to reduce or even completely replace the use of mineral fertilizers. In Brazil, rhizobia inoculants have been widely used in agriculture in the cultivation of legumes such as soybeans. Currently, the development of new formulations based on microorganisms has been made to improve the effectiveness of these products. Among these new technologies, the use of secondary bacterial metabolites has been studied to compose new formulations of inoculants. Inoculants enriched with metabolic extract from rhizobia have been showing promising results in plant growth promotion, but little is known about the isolated effects of the molecules contained in this extract, such as the lipochitoligosaccharides (LCOs), chitoligosaccharides (COs), and exopolysaccharides (EPS), when they are purified. In this study, one greenhouse and two field experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of the addition of secondary metabolites from Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 to the standard inoculation (SI) with Bradyrhizobium spp. on soybean nodulation, growth, and yield. Total metabolic extract containing LCOs (ME-LCO) and other secondary metabolism molecules, such as purified LCOs, COs, and EPS, were tested. In the greenhouse, it was observed that the addition of ME-LCO increased nodule number and shoot, root, and nodules dry weight in comparison to the SI. The SI + ME-LCO treatment significantly increased soybean grain yield by 7.6% compared to SI in the 2018/2019 cropping season. In 2019/2020, an increase of 3.1% was observed, but it was not statistically significant. The use of ME-LCO of R. tropici CIAT 899 in supplementation of Bradyrhizobium spp. soybean inoculants is very promising for the formulation of new generation inoculants.

In recent years, veterinary probiotic formulations constitute an interesting alternative to the use of antibiotics in animals for human consumption, but beneficial microorganisms must meet certain requirements to be included in these products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the safety and innocuity of beneficial autochthonous lactic bacteria (BALB) as well as to determine their beneficial, environmental, and technological characterization. Antibiotic resistance was assayed using phenotypic and genotypic methodology. A bovine vaginal fluid simulated medium (MSBVF) was designed where growth, pH changes, and expression of beneficial characteristics of lactic bacteria were evaluated; additionally, the optimal culture conditions in commercial media were determined in order to obtain the highest biomass production of the strains. Finally, the best strains were lyophilized and administered intravaginally to pregnant cows and their permanence in the vagina and adverse effects were evaluated. The results show that most of the strains were resistant to vancomycin, tetracycline, and streptomycin, with a high sensitivity to ampicillin, gentamicin, and clindamycin. The strains evaluated did not show gelatinase or hyaluronidase activity; however, 11 strains produced α-type hemolysis. The optimal growth of the microorganism was obtained in MRS broth, under slight agitation and without pH control. The strains grown in the MSBVF grew well and maintained the probiotic properties. Animals treated with probiotics bacteria did not show systemic or local inflammation. These strains can be included in a probiotic veterinary product to be applied to different bovine mucosa.

A large amount of fresh tobacco waste with high water content are produced in farmland, and it may cause environmental pollution if it is not properly treated. The fresh tobacco waste is not easily collected and transported, resulting in its centralized treatment is expensive. This study is to clarify whether it is feasible to treat fresh tobacco wastes by co-composting of them and soil in farmland and applied the obtained compost product into the soil instead of a part of tobacco-specific fertilizer. The results showed that, compared with that in original soil, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas, Azotobacter, and Coprinus of the co-composted products increased by roughly 244%, 323%, and 675%, respectively, and effective nitrogen and available potassium increased by roughly 157% and 132%, respectively. In addition, the nicotine content in co-composted products decreased dramatically compared with the discarded tobacco leaves. The application of the co-composted products and 20% fertilizer amount (15 g/plant) (YD5) exhibited the highest relative abundance of beneficial microbial communities in the soil and the best growth of tobacco plants. The co-composting of fresh tobacco waste and soil in farmland is an effective measure to treat the fresh tobacco waste, and its products increased beneficial microorganisms and stimulate the growth of tobacco plants by replacing an amount of the fertilizer.

Purpose The manipulation of soil microbiota can involve changes in microbial diversity and microbial activities, and it is carried out for practical purposes. The microbial diversity can be modified by the inoculation of beneficial microorganisms into soil or by agricultural management practices. This study provides information on the influence of introducing beneficial soil microorganisms on soil indigenous microbiota. The aim of this study was to determine how biocontrol and plant growth promoting agents Trichoderma asperellum and Bacillus subtilis and their consortium affect indigenous soil microbiota without placing emphasis on the plant as a determinant of change. Methods Experimental soil samples were treated with B. subtilis and T. asperellum and their consortium. The shift of number of bacterial and fungal CFUs in soil was determined. Biolog EcoPlate assay demonstrated the metabolic activity of microorganisms in soil. The concentration of Trichoderma genus, Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria DNA in soil samples was determined by molecular methods. A correlation analysis was performed between microbiological and molecular data. Results Soil treatment with T. asperellum, B. subtilis and the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea changed the number of CFUs and amplified DNA fragments of certain taxa. The study showed that added microorganisms did not significantly affect the metabolic diversity of the community and Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index but change the utilization of carbohydrates, complex carbon compounds and organic phosphorus compounds. Conclusion Introduced biocontrol and plant growth promoting agents T. asperellum and B. subtilis survive in soil during a 60-day experiment and influence composition and functionality of indigenous populations. Whereas B. subtilis and T. asperellum and their consortium are inhibitors of the pathogenic fungus B. cinerea, this could further positively affect specific crops.

The synthesis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in plants is triggered in response to external stimuli, and these compounds can migrate to distal tissues and neighbouring receivers. Although grapevine VOCs responsible for wine aroma and plant–insect communications are well characterized, functional properties of VOCs produced in response to phytopathogens, beneficial microorganisms, resistance inducers, and abiotic factors have been less studied. In this review, we focused on the emission patterns and potential biological functions of VOCs produced by grapevines in response to stimuli. Specific grapevine VOCs are emitted in response to the exogenous stimulus, suggesting their precise involvement in plant defence response. VOCs with inhibitory activities against pathogens and responsible for plant resistance induction are reported, and some of them can also be used as biomarkers of grapevine resistance. Likewise, VOCs produced in response to beneficial microorganisms and environmental factors are possible mediators of grapevine–microbe communications and abiotic stress tolerance. Although further functional studies may improve our knowledge, the existing literature suggests that VOCs have an underestimated potential application as pathogen inhibitors, resistance inducers against biotic or abiotic stresses, signalling molecules, membrane stabilizers, and modulators of reactive oxygen species. VOC patterns could also be used to screen for resistant traits or to monitor the plant physiological status.

We aimed to explore the effects of Fallopia multiflora–Andrographis paniculata intercropping model on yield, quality, soil nutrition and rhizosphere microorganisms of F. multiflora, an important raw material of a traditional Chinese medicine. The data will provide empirical evidence for the application and promotion of the system in agricultural production. F. multiflora’s yield, potential medicinal quality, and rhizosphere soil nutrient contents, pH, enzyme activities, and microbial characteristics (such as diversity and structure of the bacterial community) were compared between the intercropped system and a monoculture of F. multiflora. Compared with the monoculture of F. multiflora, F. multiflora–A. paniculata intercropping significantly increased the stem diameter, root fresh weight, yield and stilbene glycoside content of F. multiflora. The activities of urease and sucrase and the amounts of bacteria and actinomycetes in rhizosphere soil of intercropped F. multiflora were significantly higher than those in rhizosphere soil of the monoculture. Intercropping increased the diversity of rhizosphere bacteria and the relative abundances of potentially beneficial microorganisms. Correlation analysis shows that the yield and quality of F. multiflora were closely related to urease and invertase activities, alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen content, soil organic matter content, bacterial biomass, and pH. The results of principal component analysis show that the score of intercropping soil was higher than that of monoculture soil. A. paniculata intercropping has a significant impact on the rhizosphere soil of F. multiflora, and can improve the yield and quality of F. multiflora by improving the rhizosphere soil ecological environment and soil quality.

Numerosas especies vegetales de interés agrícola establecen simbiosis con microorganismos edáficos, tal es el caso de microorganismos promotores del crecimiento vegetal; los cuales proporcionan grandes beneficios debido a que ayudan a disminuir el uso excesivo de fertilizantes y pesticidas utilizados en la producción agrícola. Actualmente, la agricultura mexicana busca alternativas de fertilización amigables con el medio ambiente. Es por ello que las prácticas de agricultura sostenible solamente pueden ser exitosas cuando los productores tienen todos los medios para implementarlas adecuadamente. El presente ensayo aborda temas sobre las consideraciones y retos para el desarrollo de una agricultura sostenible en México, mediante el uso de microorganismos benéficos, y presenta el panorama actual y futuro sobre su uso tomando en cuenta el beneficio para el productor.

Roots can recruit beneficial microorganisms to suppress plant pathogens. However, conventional and organic practices differently shape the soil microbiome and consequently the root protection. Here, we investigated the suppressive activity of soil microbiome against the root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita in horticultural areas under organic or conventional practices and the microbiome profiles in non-inoculated (RKN-absent) and inoculated (RKN-present) rhizospheres. Soils were collected from neighboring areas under long-term conventional or organic practices, but physicochemically similar. After a set of bio-tests in autoclaved and non-autoclaved soils, we concluded that the soil suppressiveness was of biological origin. However, plant growth, RKN suppression and defense induction were higher in organic soils. Also, RKN was highly suppressed when the organic soil microbiome was transferred to infested substrates. We used Illumina MiSeq platform to determine bacterial and fungal profiles in organic and conventional tomato rhizospheres, inoculated or not with M. incognita. Our data suggest that despite the higher bacterial abundance in the conventional RKN-absent rhizosphere, the organic RKN-present rhizosphere recruited more efficiently antagonistic bacteria and fungi. Microbiome α-diversity increased in the organic RKN-present rhizosphere. Antagonistic bacterial genera Pseudomonas, Serratia, Bradyrhizobium, Burkholderia and Azospirillum and fungal genera Beauveria, Clonostachys, Metarhizium, Purpureocillium and Arthrobotrys were highly abundant only in the organic RKN-present rhizosphere. This work suggests the organic and conventional practices interfere in the rhizosphere microbiome composition and consequently in the suppression of RKN, where organic practices intensified the assembly of bacterial and fungal antagonists in the presence of M. incognita.

Background The use of essential oils (EO) as natural antimicrobials to control spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in foods has been research focus. However, few studies have investigated the impacts of EO on microorganisms acting as technological tools or capable of exerting beneficial properties on host health. Substances capable of impacting the physiological functions, metabolic capacities and growth/survival of microorganisms with technological or probiotic aptitudes could affect directly the development of desired characteristics in finished products. Scope and approach This review discusses the available literature concerning the effects of EO toward beneficial microorganisms in foods, including indigenous microorganisms and added cultures with technological or probiotic aptitudes, wiht a special empahsis to lactic acid bacteria. Available data have shown that EO could have variable effects on growth and metabolic activities of these microorganisms. Inhibitory or stimulatory effects of EO on technological and probiotic microorganisms could vary according to the type of EO and tested dose, examined microorganism and food formulation. Studies have chiefly focused on measurements of microbial growth in fermented dairy and meat products with EO. Information about the effects of EO on fermentation evolution and microbial physiological aptitudes in these foods are still scarce. Investigations need to advance to help the selection of EO and doses causing no or few adverse effects on these beneficial microorganisms in foods. Key findigs and conclusion Indded, a possible implication of the adjunction of EO to these products could be their effects on populations of indigenous or incorporated benefical microrganisms account for fermentation and development of desired quality characteristics, authenticity and functionalization of fermented foods.

Drought stress is a major environmental concern that limits crop growth on a large scale around the world. Significant efforts are required to overcome this issue in order to improve crop production. Therefore, the exciting role of beneficial microorganisms under stress conditions needs to be deeply explored. In this study, the role of two biotic entities, i.e., Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Glomus versiforme) and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR, Bacillus methylotrophicus) inoculation in drought tolerance of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), was investigated. The present results showed that drought stress considerably reduced tobacco plant's growth and their physiological attributes. However, the plants co-inoculated with AMF and PGPR showed higher drought tolerance by bringing up significant improvement in the growth and biomass of tobacco plants. Moreover, the co-inoculation of AMF and PGPR considerably increased chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophylls, carotenoids, photosynthesis, and PSII efficiency by 96.99%, 76.90%, and 67.96% and 56.88%, 53.22%, and 33.43% under drought stress conditions, respectively. Furthermore, it was observed that drought stress enhanced lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage. However, the co-inoculation of AMF and PGPR reduced the electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation and significantly enhanced the accumulation of phenols and flavonoids by 57.85% and 71.74%. Similarly, the antioxidant enzymatic activity and the plant nutrition status were also considerably improved in co-inoculated plants under drought stress. Additionally, the AMF and PGPR inoculation also enhanced abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) concentrations by 67.71% and 54.41% in the shoots of tobacco plants. The current findings depicted that inoculation of AMF and PGPR (alone or in combination) enhanced the growth and mitigated the photosynthetic alteration with the consequent up-regulation of secondary metabolism, osmolyte accumulation, and antioxidant system.

Aim: To evaluate the toxic effects of nano-zeolites on soil beneficial microorganisms. Methodology: This study involved dry milling of zeolites at varying parameters to obtain dry-milled zeolites of four size regimes such as 10-100 nm, 200-400 nm, 500-1000 nm and 1000-2000 nm that were tested at incremental concentrations such as 100 ppm, 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm along with control on various soil beneficial microorganisms. Three replications were done for each treatment with factorial completely randomized design. The poison food technique, growth curve assessment followed by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies on all four bacterial genera treated with zeolites of varying sizes and doses were undertaken. The effects of zeolite on average linear growth rate (ALGR) of biocontrol agent, Trichoderma viride were also studied. Results: The effect of zeolites tested on four bacterial genera viz. Azotobacter chroococcum, Rhizobium leguminosarum, Bacillus megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescens using poison food technique and growth curve revealed that zeolites regardless of size or concentration had positively influenced the growth dynamics of all four bacteria tested. The effect of zeolite on average linear growth rate (ALGR) of Trichoderma viride also indicated that incremental dose of zeolite had a positive effect. Lactose dehydrogenase revealed that 2000 ppm nano-zeolite exhibited cytotoxic effects on soil beneficial micro-organisms tested. On the other hand, comet assay demonstrated no quantifiable DNA damage in nano-zeolite treated cells in comparison to control cultures. Interpretation: This study unequivocally demonstrated that zeolites of size greater than 200-400 nm, irrespective of doses even up to 2000 ppm are quite safe for soil beneficial microbes.

Lentil, a cool-season food legume, is rich in protein and micronutrients with a range of prebiotic carbohydrates, such as raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFOs), fructooligosaccharides (FOSs), sugar alcohols (SAs), and resistant starch (RS), which contribute to lentil's health benefits. Beneficial microorganisms ferment prebiotic carbohydrates in the colon, which impart health benefits to the consumer. In addition, these carbohydrates are vital to lentil plant health associated with carbon transport, storage, and abiotic stress tolerance. Thus, lentil prebiotic carbohydrates are a potential nutritional breeding target for increasing crop resilience to climate change with increased global nutritional security. This study phenotyped a total of 143 accessions for prebiotic carbohydrates. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was then performed to identify associated variants and neighboring candidate genes. All carbohydrates analyzed had broad-sense heritability estimates (H2) ranging from 0.22 to 0.44, comparable to those reported in the literature. Concentration ranges corresponded to percent recommended daily allowances of 2–9% SAs, 7–31% RFOs, 51–111% RS, and 57–116% total prebiotic carbohydrates. Significant SNPs and associated genes were identified for numerous traits, including a galactosyltransferase (Lcu.2RBY.1g019390) known to aid in RFO synthesis. Further studies in multiple field locations are necessary. Yet, these findings suggest the potential for molecular-assisted breeding for prebiotic carbohydrates in lentil to support human health and crop resilience to increase global food security.

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that can improve human health. However, probiotics are susceptible to adverse effects of processing and storage, and their viability decreases during their ...

Although iron is abundant in the earth crust, iron bioavailability to plants is low because of its poor solubility in water. Iron is essential for human health, but iron malnutrition occurs all aro...

Plant growth promoting fungi are receiving increased attention as valuable beneficial microorganisms in crop cultivation due to their capacity to produce bioactive substances, promote plant growth and enhance immune defense functions. In this study, a novel Trichoderma isolate, designated as TM2-4, was screened from healthy tomato rhizosphere soil and identified as Trichoderma afroharzianum. Culture filtrate of the isolate TM2-4 displayed obvious bioactive substance production and an evident effect in promoting tomato seed germination, with hypocotyl length, radical length and vigor index increased by 28.7, 19.4 and 62.1%, respectively, after a 100-fold dilution treatment. To assess the promotion effect and related mechanism of isolate TM2-4, the plant biological indexes and gene expression profiles of tomato plants treated with or without T. afroharzianum TM2-4 microbial agent were investigated by greenhouse pot experiment and RNA sequencing. The results demonstrated that T. afroharzianum TM2-4 significantly promoted tomato plant growth in terms of plant height, dry weight, number of leaves per plant and root activity, through efficient colonization in the rhizosphere and root system of the plants. Transcriptome analyses identified a total of 984 differentially expressed genes in T. afroharzianum microbial agent inoculated tomato roots, which were mainly engaged in the biological process of phytohormone homeostasis, antioxidant activity, as well as metabolic pathways including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and glutathione metabolism. These findings provide useful information for understanding the mechanism of isolate TM2-4 for tomato plant growth promotion, which would facilitate further development of T. afroharzianum TM2-4 microbial agent for use in vegetable crop production.

Background Microbes benefit plants by increasing nutrient availability, producing plant growth hormones, and protecting against pathogens. However, it is largely unknown how plants change root microbial communities. Results In this study, we used a multi-cycle selection system and infection by the soilborne fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani AG8 (hereafter AG8) to examine how plants impact the rhizosphere bacterial community and recruit beneficial microorganisms to suppress soilborne fungal pathogens and promote plant growth. Successive plantings dramatically enhanced disease suppression on susceptible wheat cultivars to AG8 in the greenhouse. Accordingly, analysis of the rhizosphere soil microbial community using deep sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed distinct bacterial community profiles assembled over successive wheat plantings. Moreover, the cluster of bacterial communities formed from the AG8-infected rhizosphere was distinct from those without AG8 infection. Interestingly, the bacterial communities from the rhizosphere with the lowest wheat root disease gradually separated from those with the worst wheat root disease over planting cycles. Successive monocultures and application of AG8 increased the abundance of some bacterial genera which have potential antagonistic activities, such as Chitinophaga, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Flavobacterium, and a group of plant growth-promoting (PGP) and nitrogen-fixing microbes, including Pedobacter, Variovorax, and Rhizobium. Furthermore, 47 bacteria isolates belong to 35 species were isolated. Among them, eleven and five exhibited antagonistic activities to AG8 and Rhizoctonia oryzae in vitro, respectively. Notably, Janthinobacterium displayed broad antagonism against the soilborne pathogens Pythium ultimum, AG8, and R. oryzae in vitro, and disease suppressive activity to AG8 in soil. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that successive wheat plantings and pathogen infection can shape the rhizosphere microbial communities and specifically accumulate a group of beneficial microbes. Our findings suggest that soil community selection may offer the potential for addressing agronomic concerns associated with plant diseases and crop productivity.

Background The coral microbiome plays a key role in host health by being involved in energy metabolism, nutrient cycling, and immune system formation. Inoculating coral with beneficial bacterial consortia may enhance the ability of this host to cope with complex and changing marine environments. In this study, the coral Pocillopora damicornis was inoculated with a beneficial microorganisms for corals (BMC) consortium to investigate how the coral host and its associated microbial community would respond. Results High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed no significant differences in bacterial community α-diversity. However, the bacterial community structure differed significantly between the BMC and placebo groups at the end of the experiment. Addition of the BMC consortium significantly increased the relative abundance of potentially beneficial bacteria, including the genera Mameliella and Endozoicomonas. Energy reserves and calcification rates of the coral host were also improved by the addition of the BMC consortium. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that inoculation of coral with the exogenous BMC consortium improved the physiological status of the host by shifting the coral-associated microbial community structure. Conclusions Manipulating the coral-associated microbial community may enhance the physiology of coral in normal aquarium conditions (no stress applied), which may hypothetically contribute to resilience and resistance in this host.

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients which beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria. In the present work, an attempt is made to show the in-vitro prebiotic ability of husks of the pulses, Green Gram (Vigna radiata) and Black Gram (Vigna mungo), using the known standard probiotic strains: Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 and Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042. The husks are found to be resistant to in-vitro gastrointestinal digestion, and thus contain non-digestible constituents, and support the growth of beneficial microorganisms commonly present in the gastrointestinal tract. Pediococcus sp. showed growth up to 80% relative to inulin for the husks. The study also demonstrates the antioxidant activity of husks that can be an additional health benefit. Thus, the husks could be considered as potential prebiotic candidates. This work is the foremost of its kind to demonstrate the prebiotic activities of Green Gram and Black Gram husks.

Rhizosphere encourages the survival and functioning of diverse microbial communities through the influence of plant roots. Likewise, the rhizobacterial functioning contribute to the growth and productivity of crop plants significantly. With the advancement of nanotechnology, the nanoparticles can expect to augment the performance of plant beneficial microorganisms including the rhizobacteria and hence have the promise to boost sustainable agricultural practices. In the present study, Bacillus licheniformis encapsulated in alginate-chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) beads supplemented with rice starch (RS) has been evaluated for its plant growth enhancement and disease control properties. The encapsulated Bacillus licheniformis was initially characterized for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, nitrogen fixing capacity, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase production and antifungal activity against Sclerotium rolfsii. In addition to this, the plant growth promoting and biocontrol properties of the encapsulated Bacillus licheniformis were also evaluated using Capsicum annuum (L.) (chilli) seedlings. From the results, the plants treated with encapsulated Bacillus licheniformis supplemented with CNPs were found to have maximum growth enhancement. At the same time, plants treated with encapsulated Bacillus licheniformis supplemented with CNPs and RS were found to have enhanced disease suppression. This revealed the application of encapsulated Bacillus licheniformis supplemented with CNPs and RS as a promising delivery system for agricultural applications.

Background: Modulation and balancing of host gut microbiota by probiotics has been documented by several literature. Prebiotic diets such as locust beans have been known to encourage the occurrence of these beneficial microorganisms in the host gut. Objectives: To study the modulating role of gut microbiota in the hypolipidemic effect of fermented locust beans on diabetic Albino Wister rats as animal models. Methodology: Albino rats (Wistar strain), averagely weighing 125g were successfully induced with alloxan. Thereafter this induction, anti-diabetic treatment was carried out on various groups of rats by feeding them ad-libitum with a diet of milled fermented and unfermented Parkia biglobosa seeds, respectively. Results: After three weeks of treatment, it was observed that fermented locust beans caused a significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in glucose, total triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL, while the HDL levels were significantly elevated (p ≤ 0.05). Results of faecal analysis showed that the fermented locust beans modulated the gut microbiota through the occurrence of probiotic bacteria, Bacillus subtilis in the gut and faeces of the rats. Conclusion: This study support that fermented locust beans is a prebiotic diet that encourages the growth of Bacillus subtilis in the gut of animals and is associated with hypolipidemic activities which alleviate diabetes as portrayed in these rat models.

Pasture degradation is a main problem in semiarid regions. Therefore, rehabilitation of pasture needs sustainable ways such as using soil beneficial microorganisms to ameliorate endemic plant development, especially under drought conditions. This experiment addresses the effect of inoculation arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae) on resistance against water deficit including 40, 60 and 80% of soil humidity based on field capacity with two endemic Bromus species (B. tometolus and B. kopetdaghensis) for two years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with focusing on morphological traits and physiological drought-responsive biomarkers. The results showed that increasing water deficit reduced shoot dry weight, photosynthesis pigment content, and fluorescence significantly, which was correlated with a significant enhancement in proline accumulation and antioxidants enzyme activity. G. intraradices had more positive effects on shoot dry weight than G. mosseae. Both Bromus species under water deficit stress accumulated considerable proline. G. intraradices and G. mosseae resulted in more superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in both species; however, G. intraradices showed more proline content and enzyme activity than G. mosseae. The compensatory effect of AMF in alleviating the negative effect of reduced soil humidity was due to an increase in proline accumulation and activation of some antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers which improved water deficit tolerance of Bromus.

International audience; The current agricultural scenario faces a range of challenges, with phytosanitary ones being paramount. In most cases, plant diseases are treated with chemicals; however, they cause environmental pollution and face the acquired resistance of pathogens. Alternatively, biochar is a valuable tool for inducing the systemic resistance of plants since it is an effective and widely used resource to improve the physical, chemical, and biological attributes of the soil, consequently providing an adequate environment for healthy plant development. The effectiveness of the application of biochar in the control of plant diseases has been attributed to its alkaline pH, which contributes to the growth of beneficial microorganisms and increases the availability of nutrients, and to its porous structure, which provides a habitat and protection for the development of the soil microbiome. Therefore, the combined effect of improvements to soil attributes through biochar creates its role in controlling pathogens. This review assesses the beneficial and potential effects of biochar in agricultural soils, as well as showing the positive effects of biochar in the management of soil pathogens. Besides, we deeply evaluate twenty papers that used biochar as a strategy to manage plant diseases caused by pathogens inhabiting the soil in different soil-pathogen-plant systems. Among these studies, 70 % validate biochar as a strategy for the management of plant diseases; 10 % of studies showed that the efficiency of biochar as a disease management tool depends on the type of feedstock, and 20 % of studies describes that the biochar is not a management tool for suppressive diseases, caused by Pythium ultimum and Rhizoctonia solani in some host plants. The biochar is a strategy to manage plant diseases caused by pathogens inhabiting the soil, due different mechanisms as fungitoxic effect of biochar, sorption of allelopathic and phytotoxic compounds that can harm the plant, induction of plant resistance, increase of activities and abundance of beneficial microorganism’s, changes in soil quality as nutrient availability and abiotic conditions.

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms and play a health-promoting role in the human body. It is necessary to maintain the viability and have the metabolic activity during the food processing, the whole way to the customer’s table and also within the digestive tract. Covering these microorganisms is an important strategy, but the issue of their release at the right time and place has not yet been fully discovered. In the case of using edible films or food coatings, there is no problem of releasing, because the film or coating is consumed with the food. On the other hand, these coatings help increasing the shelf life of delicate foods such as fresh fruits (strawberry) and vegetables. In this review study, first we discuss the strawberry issue and common methods of increasing its shelf life, and then we deal with the issue of using edible films and food coatings as a two-way strategy to increase the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables and also probiotic coatings. In the following, the effect of direct addition of probiotics on the quality of fruits and vegetables is studied, and then the effect of probiotics films and edible coatings on fruits and vegetables are reviewed for the first time. Some of these coatings are also known as prebiotics and can be considered from different dimensions. At the end, some questions about using of probiotic in edible coatings are listed to be considered in further researches.

At present, there is little information on the effects of organic amendments on black pepper farms particularly in Sarawak, Malaysia. The objective was to study the effects of organic amendments on selected soil properties, morphological characteristics, and yield of immature vines and its economic viability on immature pepper productions. There were five treatments each replicated five times in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were (i) F0—NPK 15:15:15 compound fertilizers, (ii) F1—fermented plant juice (FPJ), (iii) F2—FPJ incorporated with biochar, and compost, (iv) F3—fermented fruit juice (FFJ), and (v) F4—FFJ incorporated with biochar, and compost. The soil organic amendments which were consisted of fermented juices, biochar, and compost have positively improved soil bulk density, soil porosity, pH, CEC, TOC, C/N ratio, available P, exchangeable Ca, soil respiration, and soil microorganism count (bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi). The fermented juices only or fermented juices with biochar and compost had lower effect on LAI and fruit spike length. The effect of soil organic amendments on fresh berry yield was comparable to that of NPK fertilizer. The economic viability study showed that the organic approach was comparable to the conventional NPK fertilization program. Through the interaction of beneficial microorganisms, biochar, and compost, introducing organic amendments in immature pepper cultivation is a reasonable option due to its contribution to yield that can lead to income sustainability for farmers.

Soil amendment with beneficial microorganisms is gaining popularity among farmers to alleviate the decline of soil fertility and to increase food production and maintain environmental quality. However, farm management greatly influence soil microbial abundance and function, which overly affects crop growth and development. In this work, greenhouse experiments involving soybeans were conducted to evaluate the effects of bradyrhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) dual inoculation on nodulation, AMF root colonization, growth and nutrient acquisition under contrasting farming systems. The experimental treatments were AMF and/or bradyrhizobia inoculation and dual inoculation on SC squire soybean variety. The exotic AMF inoculants used were Funneliformis mosseae (BEG 12) and Rhizophagus irregularis (BEG 44) while bacteria were commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum (USDA110) and native bradyrhizobia isolates. Experiments with soil samples from organic and conventional farms were set out using a completely randomized design with three replicates. The results demonstrated that bradyrhizobia and AMF dual inoculation consistently and significantly enhanced soybean nodule dry weight (NDW), shoot dry weight (SDW) and AMF root colonization compared with individual bradyrhizobia , AMF and non-inoculated control. Moreover, organic soil significantly (p = 0.001) increased soybean SDW, NDW and AMF root colonization compared to conventional soil. Remarkably, shoot nutrients content differed in organic and conventional farming where, shoot nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon were higher in organic farming than the latter. Among individual inoculants, Rhizophagus irregularis out-performed Funneliformis mosseae, while commercial Bradyrhizobium japonicum showed higher performance than native bradyrhizobia. Our results demonstrated the importance of organic farming, AMF and bradyrhizobia dual inoculation in enhancing soybean growth and nutrient acquisition. However, field trials should be assessed to determine the good performance of bradyrhizobia and AMF dual inoculation in organic farming before being popularized and adopted by farmers as a sustainable agronomical management strategy to increase soil fertility and food productivity.

In agriculture, the demand is increasing for environment friendly, ecologically compatible techniques which can provide food for our growing population by raising both the quality and quantity of farm produce. Here, using plant beneficial microbes enables plants to tackle disease-causing organisms and insects, and withstand abiotic stress. Objective of this review is to focus on the emergence of the agriculturally important micro-organisms in order to establish an ideal agricultural system which supports efficient use of nutrients and energy recycling, and thereby preserves natural resources in the ecosystem as the environment conditions continue to aggravate due to climate change. This review gives a brief overview of the beneficial aspects of microbes in agriculture and several stress situations related to the climate change.

Le genre Azospirillum et la culture des legumes (synthese bibliographique) Introduction. Des rhizobacteries favorisant la croissance des plantes ont ete inserees avec succes dans l'agriculture, dans le but de rechercher un meilleur equilibre entre la production agricole et la protection de l'environnement. Cependant, il y a une restriction a son application en ce qui concerne les especes exploitees, car l'accent est mis sur la production cerealiere a grande echelle, excluant pratiquement les petites et moyennes exploitations. Litterature. Les etudes sur l'application de la bacterie Azospirillum dans les especes horticoles sont encore naissantes, comparees a celles visant la production cerealiere. Cependant, il apparait que ces bacteries sont benefiques au developpement et a la production d'une serie de legumes, qu'elles produisent des feuilles, des tiges, des bulbes, des fleurs, des fruits, des racines ou des tubercules, et peuvent entrainer des gains monetaires, en particulier pour les petits et moyens producteurs. Conclusions. L'utilisation de la bacterie Azospirillum pour augmenter la qualite et la quantite de produits issus d'especes horticoles, en plus d'etablir une pratique respectueuse de l'environnement, est une realite. Cependant, le developpement de la recherche qui definit les meilleures strategies d'utilisation de cette technologie doit etre mene en continu, en visant les meilleures conditions pour les producteurs ruraux.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression due to rather strict complementarity to their mRNA and have a length of 20-24 nucleotides. Plant microRNAs control a wide range of physiological processes, including nutrition, growth, resistance reactions and interaction with other organisms, via modulation of the expression of transcription factors, stress-induced proteins, hormone biosynthesis enzymes, and other genes. Legumes are able to form mutualistic symbioses simultaneously with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhiza. Both the early and late stages of these symbiosis are regulated by complex genetic mechanisms. As it has become known in recent years, one of these mechanisms is the regulation of gene expression by microRNA. The study of microRNAs is carried out by various methods, but over the past decade, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have become the most popular approach in this field. NGS is used to identify conservative and novel microRNAs in the genomes of various organisms (both model and non-model), as well as to study the functioning of microRNAs in various experimental conditions with the additional use of transcriptome and degradome sequencing data. The article describes the main stages of working with microRNA sequencing data: quality control of reads (with a list of programs required at this stage), identification of conservative and novel microRNAs using miRDeep2 tool, search for targets of identified microRNAs using PAREsnip2, functional annotation of targets and the use of statistical tests for the analysis of functional enrichment, which facilitates the interpretation of the data obtained and allows us to make assumptions about the biological consequences of the activity of identified microRNAs in the object under study. This information may be useful for researchers who deal with microRNAs in silico for the first time or want to save time and resources on searching and analyzing information about the tools needed to work with microRNA sequencing data.

Modern agriculture has been largely successful in meeting the energy needs of poor populations in developing countries. In the past 40 years, agricultural research has placed increased cereal production at its center. Recently, however, there has been a shift: agriculture must now not only produce more calories to reduce hunger, but also more nutrient-rich food to reduce hidden hunger. One in three people in the world suffer from hidden hunger, caused by a lack of minerals and vitamins in their diets, which leads to negative health consequences. Biofortification is a process of improvement of nutritional profile of plant-based foods through agronomic interventions, genetic engineering, and conventional plant breeding. Biofortification through agronomic approaches can be achieved by applying mineral fertilizers to the soil, foliar fertilization and soil inoculation with beneficial microorganisms. Biofortification through genetic engineering is an alternative approach when variation in the desired traits is not available naturally in the available germplasm, a specific micronutrient does not naturally exist in crops, and/or modifications cannot be achieved by conventional breeding.

Günümüzde, çevre dostu etkileri sebebiyle, tarım uygulamalarında faydalı mikroorganizmalar etkin şekilde kullanılmaktadır. Bu mikroorganizmalar, bitki besin elementi içeriğini arttırması sayesinde meyve kalite özellikleri ve verim üzerine olumlu etki sağlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda, 3 farklı dönemde, yapraktan mikrobiyal gübre (EM.A ve EM.5) uygulamalarının ‘Chandler’ ceviz çeşidinde, verim ve bazı meyve özellikleri üzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Demirci/Manisa’da 2018 ve 2019 yılları arasında yürütülen çalışmada, iki yılın ortalaması dikkate alındığında, meyve ağırlığı (12.62 g), eni (33.60 mm) ve yükseklik (41.13 mm) bakımından EM.A uygulaması ilk sırada yer almıştır. Her iki yararlı mikrobiyal gübre uygulaması ile a* değerinde artış, C* değerinde azalış gözlenmiştir. Genel olarak, meyvede, linoleik asit (%62.74 ile EM.5) düzeyi yüksek olurken bunu sırasıyla linoleinik (%16.21 ile kontrol) ve oleik asit (%13.22 ile EM.A) izlemiştir. Ağaç başına en yüksek verim EM.5 uygulamasında (2.52 kg/ağaç), en düşük verim ise uygulama yapılmayan ağaçlarda (0.78 kg/ağaç) saptanmıştır.

There is a direct link between the increasing human population and soil degradation that raises current and future food security concerns. Soil amelioration using beneficial microorganisms, particu...

Endophytic bacteria are beneficial microorganisms living in the tis-sues system of various parts of a plant, including fruits, leaves, twigs, and roots. The bacteria are stated as forming colonies without caus-ing any damage to the plant. Thus, this study aimed at isolating endo-phytic bacterial from the leaves, barks, and fruits of Kasturi plant (Mangifera casturi), screening its endophytic bacteria, determining the potential of those endophytic bacteria, identifying 16S rRNA and analyzing potential growth of the bacteria. The isolated endophytic bacteria appeared to show potential activity against pathogenic bac-teria Propionibacterium acnes with disc-diffusion methods. Besides, the observations on bacterial activities showed isolate L2, S2 and F4 isolated from leaves, bark and fruits, respectively, as the most potent producers of antibacterial compounds. Technically, those activities were indicated by the formation of clear zones. Molecular identifica-tion was investigated by applying PCR amplification on 16S rRNA gene. Furthermore, the isolate L2 was identified as Enterobacter clo-acae with 99% sequence similarities; however, isolates S2 and F4 were identified as Escherichia coli. Therefore, these findings sug-gested that the identified strains would contribute to any further searches for new sources of anti-acne substances.

This current research work reflects the role of beneficial organism in altering leather industry wastewater sludge into a precious product using chicken manure. leather industry wastewater sludge was lethal to beneficial organism; thus, it was assorted with chicken manure in various ratios viz. (SL0) 0:100, (SL15) 15:85, (SL25) 25:75, (SL50) 50:50, (SL75) 75:25 on dry weight basis. The high stockpile and lower mortality of beneficial organism (earthworm & microorganism) was in (SL0) feed mixture. Carbon nitrogen ratio, EC, and organic carbon were declined in the following pattern 30.87-38.32%, 46.35-73.3%, and 25.85-15.84%, respectively. On the other hand, pH, total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, potassium, Calcium, phosphorus, and sodium were increased from initial in the range of pH (3.45-12.8%), 7.14–64%, 8.1-43.64%, 17.24–76.92%, 10.19–46.87% & 25-68.75%, respectively. Total concentration of heavy metals raised pointedly and within the allowable boundary. Therefore, results designated that remediation of tannery sludge through eco-friendly technology using beneficial organisms is acceptable for altering this leather industry wastewater sludge into valuable manure product.